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IC General Knowledge: (As the lead-in for game and introductions): The Funeral of Duke Arnold Pinebrook The services held were a somber and dignified affair. In an area of the Near Dreaming that lay on the outskirts of the Freehold of Dreams-Upon-Ramsgate, a walkway leading from the freehold entrances had been cleared out, and attendants to the funeral were lead along a path marked by lanterns upon humble, but sturdy, pillars of granite. A pathway broad enough for half a dozen to walk abreast led mourners through a curving route lined with young Yew trees planted or grown in a thick, regular route. One day their branches might make a full canopy that covered the path, but at present, they simply hid the surrounding landscape. After a final pillar, mourners passed through an archway in a fence line that, presumably, stretched off through the thick treelines in either direction to mark out the border of a graveyard. Beyond, space opened up into a surprisingly sparse and sunny field- clearly, the area was only recently set aside for this purpose, and only a few structures stood in the scenic, if empty, cemetery. A mausoleum of gray and green marble had been erected in the days before the service. Some small, humble flowerbeds gave the vague impression of how the spaces would be laid out for future burial plots without drawing too much attention. An area with rows of seats had been set up in an area with a raised podium, and attendants led to seats for the service. Nearby, a pavilion had been erected with some additional seating in the shade, where a number of retainers and staff stood ready to assist guests. The widow Duchess Natalia Pinebrook & his Majesty King Peter Highcastle were seated at the front, surrounded by their retinues and maintaining a dignified, if distant, solemnity throughout the ceremony For all the effort taken to make the event tasteful and splendid, the service itself was fairly brief. A few minutes of simple welcomes from Lord Wesmoore, the late Dukes majordomo began the ceremony. After a few words about grief, resolve, and legacy, he introduced a few other nobles who had either served under or with Pinebrook in the past. None spoke for more than a minute or two, and their words were straightforward, sorrowful, and heartfelt. The last to stand at the podium was his Majesty himself, and his speech was jarringly brief. "Arnold Pinebrook has been taken from us, and we are forever the poorer for it. He was a great man; fierce, keen, and above all loyal... and I suspect I shall not see his like again. I count myself diminished, as though my right hand lost. This is a black day. Our resolve must be our solace." With that, the service came to a close. A closed casket was taken into the mausoleum to be interred and sealed, and mourners were escorted back to the halls of Dreams-Upon-Ramsgate for a brief wake to express condolences to the Duchess and take refreshments. Those who attended would note that King Highcastle departed immediately after the service, rather than socialize at the reception when no few than 5 other monarchs had made the point of being present to express their condolences to Duchess Natalia. Keen observers would also note that Natalia still bore a sign of injury from the attack; her left hand, though covered in glove and sleeves of her dress, looked as though it pained her still, and two fingers appeared not to bend easily. While she looked every bit the grieving widow, Natalia Pinebrook was nonetheless tired and cold. The Trial Begins: The first session of the trial of Johan Fleck was a series of surprises and dramas. The initial surprise came simply from who had arrived to participate. Among those who were in the Barony of Ramsgate, it had been common knowledge for days that the three jurors judging the case were the High Queen herself, a representative chosen by Chief Bluhorn from the Glacierlands, and a representative from the Kingdom of Rivers. Those in the know were aware that the Troll Chief had sent his own clan elder and closest advisor Reinhardt the Branded to judge in his stead. Reinhardt is an older fellow, but by reputation as wise and honest as anyone could be. But even those in the thick of things didn't know who King Valois was sending to represent him in the trial. That answer came just an hour before the proceedings were to begin when the King's transport arrived in the city, and the King of the Kingdom of Rivers himself arrived to act as a juror in the trial. The monarch of the independent Duchy of Song's Crest had been selected to send an advocate for the aggrieved widow. He was represented by Baron Rudolph Verner- a somewhat stodgy Sidhe who seemed almost afraid to be there at first. King Robert Dockett of the Kingdom of Willows had been chosen to send an advocate for the accused. In his stead, the Count Sebastian De La Croix, a friendly-if-unnerving Sluagh, was representing the Boggan Johann Fleck. For his part, Fleck was a rather unassuming presence in the hall. Lean and wiry in build, but plain enough in face, the ugly chains that held him bound in his stand were matched only by the ugly sneer he laid upon all the Nobles before him. The next shocks came after the trial had been brought into session, when the prosecuting advocate, Verner, was called upon to identify the charges against Fleck. After some awkward throat-clearing and nervous pauses, Verner named the crimes that had, up to that point, been mostly rumor and speculation. "We hereby charge the Boggan known as Johann Fleck with the following crimes: Conspiracy to do murder, two counts. Attempted murder, one count. Po-... Possession of forbidden anathema, and the use thereof. Use of anathema to do murder, one count. Assault with forbidden anathema, 3 counts. The aggrieved shall hereafter demonstrate that the accused did plot and arrange to insinuate himself into the household of the Duke Pinebrook, and did plot to commit murder using the forbidden anathema of c- cold iron." The whole hall was a twitter over these- at last the rumors confirmed. Duke Pinebrook had fallen under an Iron weapon, the truest bane of any changeling. Slain by a cold iron weapon, his very soul destroyed forever. Many in the audience are aghast at this news. When the time comes for De La Croix to make his opening arguments, there is a long and awkward quite as he speaks to his charge. What is stranger is that Fleck barely reacts to him, simply staring into the crowd of attendants, his gaze locked upon Natalia Pinebrook. After a long, unheard pleading from De La Croix, Fleck simply sneers and shakes his head. After which De La Croix addresses the silent hall and whispers; "The accused offers no comment, your majesties." Before long, the intensity of his staring and the details of the case seem to overwhelm Natalia. There comes a point where the widow of Ramsgate is moved well into tears, and even the layman can tell that it is only the power of the Protocols in place that keep her from hysterics. The jurors call the session into recess for the day, and the spectators were dispersed. (As of lead up to Game 1) It was in the first week of January that the rumor spread like a wildfire across the Kingdoms of Concordia, and soon enough it was a topic of conversation in Freeholds across Europe. By the Second, letters had been dispatched among ambassadors from the Kingdom of Holly & Yew to confirm the rumors and publicly announce the fact in domains across the lands. Confirmed- Duke Arnold Pinebrook ap Eiluned of the Duchy of Salt Breeze has been killed. Killer apprehended in the act, motives unclear. Many Kithain in the distant communities across the continent had never heard of the man, at least among the Commoner folk. But surely enough, the buzz of excitement and worry that this news inspired among the Sidhe and Noble houses filtered out through all Changeling communities soon enough. Rather than stamp down rumors or calm tensions and worries, the scant details coming out of the Kingdom of Holly & Yew about the death of one of the most powerful leaders in Britain lead to wild panics and even wilder speculation. For most of a week theories spread of assassination, of treason, or of preludes to war. Many Kithain across Concordia grew restless, worried that the hard-won peace they had achieved was about to break. Only slowly, and after a days-long lack of news, did more information make its way to the courts of other kingdoms and through Heralds to the faeries of the lands. The Duke had been murdered late into the night of New Year's Eve. His killer was a stranger, a Boggan identified as Johann Fleck who had not long been in the Kingdom of Holly & Yew. The late Duke's wife, Duchess Natalia Pinebrook was also attacked but was saved by the guards that intervened. Fleck was apprehended and had been in custody since that night. By decree of King Peter Highcastle, a state funeral with full honors would be held on the 13th of January, 1803, allowing a week's time for those that wished to pay their respects and condolences to arrange to attend. Over the days that followed these announcements, many other reactions were revealed. It came out that, due to some circumstance, High Queen Johanna had taken a personal interest in the matter of the death and the punishment of the killer Johann Fleck. Heralds from her Highness's court spread the word of her decree that for the remains of the winter she would reside and hold court in the halls of Dreams-Upon-Ramsgate Freehold, the ducal seat the Duchy of Salt Breeze. Shortly afterward it was announced that Fleck, a Commoner, would stand public trial for the crime and that High Queen Johanna herself would preside over a tribunal that judged the case. The trial would begin on the morning of Saturday, January the 15th. With both of these events happening so close, all eyes from across the faerie courts of Europe and further abroad cast their gaze upon the coastal town of Ramsgate. Most of the faerie kingdoms of the western world dispatched dignitaries or representatives to attend, if not the funeral itself, at least to observe developments from the trial. The town of Ramsgate, and the nearby faerie freehold of Dreams-Upon-Ramsgate, were soon flooded with fae from across the world, all drawn in by the prospects of intrigue, the fears of plots and brewing war, and the fabulous spectacle of the High Queen's court events. In all the hubbub and clatter of the funeral, the trial, and the intrigue of what lead to all this, word started circulating of two social events planned by locals in the township of Ramsgate to take place following the trial. In the days that lead up to the trial itself, a funny little story started spinning through social circles among the lords and ladies of Noble bearing. It seems that Lady Margaret Downey ap Fiona, a Baroness from a township that neighbors Ramsgate, has procured a fine house overlooking the bay and planned a salon. Apparently, she has arranged to gather a small group of Dreamer poets that she has been cultivating for some time, and planned to show them off and arrange a viewing of some of her most prized art pieces to dazzle and entertain a few of her closest friends. However, chatterbox that she is, Margaret let all this slip to some count or another visiting from the Kingdom of Blossoms, probably hoping that he would come and extend an invitation to his Highness. Unfortunately for her, the Count did not invite the King, but did let slip about the party to damn near every Noble changeling in a hundred miles. Within a day, the plans for a small, intimate salon had gone completely out of control, and many dozens of fae (whom Margaret had never heard of the day before) had RSVP'd to her ball and poetry reading. But that was not the only thing planned in the afternoon of that Saturday. Among less noble and dignified circles, word had quite intentionally made it through the grapevine that another local figure was hosting an event. Badger Lipton, a Pooka of somewhat ill-repute in the town of Ramsgate, had put the word out that he had come into possession of a collection of "worthless antiquities and interesting trinkets". Word on the street was that he had closed up his saloon down by the docks, 'The Badger Burrow', for the day in order to put them on display and allow interested parties to review them. As a good business-man, "who had never once ever caused the local constabulary a moment's trouble", Badger planned to hold something of a silent auction for the objects he had "Inherited". As far as what is actually on the block, word on the street varies. However, one rumor that comes up often enough to possibly be true is that Badger may be auctioning off a piece of the recently discovered Rosetta Stone, an artifact and treasure that has only just recently unlocked the secrets of the Ancient Egyptian language.